The Stranger
by pantherscout
Summary: A mysterious stranger gets another chance when she shows up on the Andromeda
1. Default Chapter

THE STRANGER  
By: pantherscout  
  
Author's note: this is my first Andromeda fanfic, so please be gentle with it. Also, all misspellings are not entirely my fault. Those belong entirely to my computer.   
  
Disclaimer: not mine, don't own. (except for Mac, who does belong to me. But if you ask nicely, I might let you borrow her)  
  
  
The beginning-  
  
"Mac, you have to get out of here."  
"No, I won't leave you and mom here. You know I can't do that." Mac replied.  
"The Dragos are taking over this ship. They're killing everyone on board. You have to stay alive. Your ship has already been loaded. Now get out of here."  
"Why can't I stay and fight? Or else why can't you two come with me?" Mac was on the verge of crying, which is something she rarely did.  
"You know why. They consider you a threat. They will stop at nothing to get rid of you. So just remember that your mother and I love you. But you have to leave now."  
"I'll never forget either of you."  
"I know, Now go."  
With a defeated sigh, "Yes, sir." With that Mackenzie ran to and boarded her ship, and left her family and her home behind.  
Right before she entered slipstream, Mac took one last look back, just in time to see the ship that she had grown up on destroyed. Everyone that she had considered her family was now gone. She did the only thing left to do, she engaged the slipstream drive. But as she entered, her ship was shot, but she was still able to get away.  
Little did she know that this bumpy ride was going to change her life, in a way she could have never imagined. Mac was about to get another shot at having a family.  
  
"We are approaching a ship, which has recently emerged from slipstream." Rommie stated.  
"And?" came the reply.  
"The ship has been damaged badly, I don't know how it even survived the slipstream."  
"Okay, let's try to open communications then."  
"I've already tried. I can only detect one lifesign. He or she could be injured."  
Runs hands through hair, "Alright, let's bring it into the docking bay."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah, I'll meet our visitor there."  
  
Mac stumbled out of her ship, and took one look at the person who was standing in front of her.  
"Welcome to the Andromeda Ascendent."  
She just couldn't believe her eyes, or her ears. "This isn't real, this can't be happening, you're not supposed to be here." It was at that time that Mac passed out.  



	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone, thanks for all the reviews. I meant to get this part up earlier but things got busy and I lost track of time. I hope to put up at least a chapter a week, the more reviews I get might make me write more faster, hint hint. :) ok well here it goes....  
  
  
Chapter 2: She's alive  
  
"Harper, did you find anything out of the ordinary?" Dylan asked his resident genius.   
"Define 'out of the ordinary', if ya mean any dangerous to the crew and ship type of stuff, then no. Although I did find a really interesting double force lance holster, and some various other high guard/commonwealth gagets and souviners. But mostly nothing out of what you might call ordinary." Harper replied.  
Dylan smirked, "Alright, I'm gonna go check on Trance and our patient so I'll be in medical if anyone needs me."   
As Dylan was leaving command Tyr spoke up, "I say that we watch our guest carefully, since we still don't really know anything about her or whoever she is apparently hiding from."  
"I have to agree with Tyr on this one, Dylan." Beka added.  
"Don't worry, everything is under control. Let's first hear what her story is, then we'll see what happens from there." Dylan stated as he headed out of command and into medical.  
  
In medical, Mac was finally waking up. 'Alright let's be sure to choose your words carefully.' Was her first coherent thought. Throughout her 'unconscious' state her mind had kept on replaying significant moments in her life, but mostly it was when she had to leave the ship and her family behind. Her eyelids fluttered open just as Dylan walked in.  
"How is she?" Dylan asked Trance.  
"She's just now waking up." Trance replied.  
Dylan walked over to the bed that Mac was laying on. After seeing that she was awake, he asked, "How are you feeling?"  
"Surprisingly well, I think." Was Mac's reply.   
"I'm Captain Dylan Hunt, and this is Trance Gemini," he said as he motioned towards Trance, who was standing next to him, "What's your name?"   
"D-Dakota Mackenzie, but everyone just calls me Mac." Mac said, but she was mentally yelling at herself for not catching herself sooner.  
"What happened to your ship?" Dylan asked next.  
"Umm," Mac sighed, "I was attacked trying to escape." Mac mentally kicked herself for saying that,' that's a good way to put it.' She thought.  
"Escape from what?" Trance asked.  
Mac glanced down at the memory, then looked back up at the two, "The ship that my family and I were on was attacked by Nietcheans. My parents ordered me to leave and they said that they would try to buy me enough time to get away; but before I was able to enter the stream, the ship that my family was on was destroyed and then my ship was shot at the exact moment it entered the slipstream. So, I thank you for helping me."  
"When you got out of your ship you said to me that I wasn't real, and that I wasn't supposed to be here. What did you mean by that?" Dylan asked.  
'Here goes nothing, you knew that would be asked sooner or later' Mac thought before she said, "It really didn't mean anything, I was just thinking out loud. You see, I always thought that you were just a myth that was put into stories about the fall of the Commonwealth, and even if you were real I guess I didn't think that you were actually still alive." 'that sounded pretty good'   
Dylan thought about that for a moment,"I assure you that I am real and I am very much alive." He said jokingly.  
Mac grinned, "I figured as much." She said. In her mind she thought 'ask him'. "Umm, Captain.."  
Dylan interupted, "You can just call me Dylan."  
"Ok, Dylan, I know that you don't really know much about me yet, but would it be ok if I stayed on board for awhile, I can help out with whatever." She quickly added, "At least until I get my ship fixed."  
Dylan thought for a second, then replied, "That shouldn't be a problem, but we'll discuss any long term decissions later."  
"Thank you," Mac said with a grin. 'Things are looking up."  
  
  
  
  
Author's note: So what'd ya think this time around? Can anyone guess what Mac is hiding?  



	3. chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
  
The next few days were going great, at least in Mac's eyes they were. Trance had shown her around and introduced her to the other crew members on board. They all seemed nice, although mac did notice that Tyr and Beka seemed to trust her the least. She was also pretty sure that Dylan was going to let her stay on board as a new member of the crew, since now between her and Harper the ship was running even better than before.  
  
  
"I don't trust her." Beka stated to Tyr. They were currently the only ones in command.  
  
"I agree. She seems to be hiding something." Tyr responded.  
  
"There is just something about her, although I couldn't say what. I think we need to find out what it is that she is hiding. Then we can take this to Dylan."  
  
"I just hope that whatever it is doesn't get us killed." Tyr said, paused, then continued, "Have you noticed how she knows her way around the ships systems?"  
  
"But that doesn't mean anything. Harper knows his way around also."  
  
"Yeah, except that Harper is older, has more experience, probably, and has been working on this ship for over a year. She just arrived."  
  
"Well, maybe she worked on a ship which was similar before."  
  
"Beka, for it to be this similar it would have to be another High Guard ship. Now that wouldn't be all that bad until you look at the type of luck we have been having in dealing with relics from the old commonwealth."  
  
"I guess that we'll just have to keep an eye on her then, and hope that she lets her secret slip out before it kills us."  



End file.
